Jurassic Frenzy: Taupō Unveils Its Dinosaur Sculpture
A towering 10-meter tall dinosaur statue perched on top of a massive geometric boulder has become the newest draw in Taupō, though it has also sparked debate.
The Taupō District Council provided a single $100,000 grant for the artwork, created by the Taupō Sculpture Trust. However, this financial support has upset certain locals, particularly as they are dealing with an over eight percent rise in their rates.
Dinosaur statue sparks debate in Taupō (3 min 33 sec)
The mayor of Taupō, David Trewavas, stated Morning Report artwork always has the capacity to cause controversy.
Around 15 years back, roughly a dozen artists and entrepreneurs with good intentions approached us. They suggested, 'Let’s add some vibrancy to our town! We’ll gather half the funds, but could you all pitch in too?'
Trewavas recognized that locals were confronting a significant increase in rates, yet the Taupō District Council had pledged support for the initiative several years back. He was hopeful this effort would attract more visitors to the area.
Trewavas said he had already heard of people keen to visit Taupō to see the new sculpture.
A household recently called from Masterton mentioning they will be heading up this weekend to check it out.
Taupō was known for hosting sports events like the Ironman and Supercars, and Trewavas believed it was time to also back the local arts scene.
The struggling local art scene hasn't received much love over the years, which is why we want to show our support for these folks. It’s important for us to foster community collaborations and encourage everyone to participate.
And as for the sculpture itself, Trewavas said it had "grown on him", and he shared the reasoning behind a dinosaur.
Dinosaurs once wandered through this area. You could find them near the Mohaka River along the Napier-Taupō Road.
In the end, though, it was the artists who chose which installations would go up around the town.
Let's be clear about this: I won't have the councillors picking out the art pieces.
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